Written Answers Friday 25 November 2005

Scottish Executive

Apprenticeships

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many modern apprenticeships have been taken up by residents of the (a) West Dunbartonshire and (b) East Dunbartonshire local authority area in each year since 1999.

Allan Wilson: The number of modern apprentices (MAs) broken down by local authority area and by year is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. This information is not held centrally.

  However, Scottish Enterprise have published MA figures which include the parliamentary constituency of Dumbarton and also Dunbartonshire local enterprise company area. These are now in the public domain and can be found on their website:

  www.scottish-enterprise.com/sedotcom_home/training-providers-top/training-providers/performance-and-reports.htm?siblingtoggle=1.

Asylum Seekers

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many of its officials were directly involved, either in a monitoring or consultative role, during raids to remove the children of asylum seekers living in Scotland in each year since 2002.

Robert Brown: None.

Care of Elderly People

Dr Jean Turner (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive which NHS boards met more than 75% of the criteria set out in NHS Quality Improvement Scotland’s local reports on older people in acute care, published in February 2004.

Dr Jean Turner (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria set out in NHS Quality Improvement Scotland - Older People in Acute Care were not met, broken down by NHS board.

Mr Andy Kerr: NHS Quality Improvement Scotland’s local reports on older people in acute care are available on their website at http://www.nhshealthquality.org .

Children and Young People

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many children aged 16 and under live in each NHS board area.

George Lyon: The Registrar General’s 2004 mid-year population estimates show the number of people aged 16 and under by NHS board area to be:

  

NHS Board Area
Population


Argyll and Clyde
82,641


Ayrshire and Arran
73,351


Borders
21,645


Dumfries and Galloway
28,274


Fife
71,285


Forth Valley
57,957


Grampian
102,753


Greater Glasgow
167,249


Highland
42,419


Lanarkshire
116,244


Lothian
148,915


Orkney
3,968


Shetland
4,906


Tayside
74,500


Western Isles
5,187

Children with Special Needs

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many pupils with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties (a) there are and (b) have placements in special schools.

Robert Brown: There were in September 2004, (a) 4,131 pupils with a Record of Needs and/or an Individualised Educational Programme in primary, secondary and special schools who had social, emotional and behavioural difficulties identified as their main difficulty in learning. Of these pupils, (b) 733 were placed in special schools.

Concessionary Travel

John Swinburne (Central Scotland) (SSCUP): To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements have been made regarding companion entitlements in the proposals for a free bus travel scheme for older and disabled people.

Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive is currently consulting on the terms and eligibility criteria of the new Scotland-wide free bus travel scheme for older and disabled people. The consultation paper indicates that those of fare paying age (five and over) in receipt of one or more of the following benefits or awards, or those living in a residential home or hospital who would be eligible for the benefits or awards, will be entitled to a companion:

  Higher or Medium Care Component of Disability Living Allowance; or

  Attendance Allowance.

Deaf and Hearing-Impaired People

Mr Frank McAveety (Glasgow Shettleston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to issue guidance to fire services in respect of ensuring that smoke alarms meet the British standard for people who are deaf and hard-of-hearing.

Hugh Henry: The Scottish Executive has no functions in relation to the specification of product safety. Fire and rescue services have access to the relevant British Standards relating to smoke alarms for hearing-impaired people. In addition, we have made available to the fire and rescue services information leaflets, intended for distribution to members of the public, on the installation and use of smoke alarms. The leaflets make reference to the availability of alarms for those with special needs including hearing-impaired people. It is the responsibility of the fire and rescue services when recommending or installing alarms to make reference to relevant standards. However, we will discuss with fire and rescue services whether any further guidance is necessary in this area.

Deaf and Hearing-Impaired People

Mr Frank McAveety (Glasgow Shettleston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that smoke alarms meet the British standard for people who are deaf and hard-of-hearing.

Hugh Henry: The Scottish Executive has no functions in relation to the specification of product safety. It is the responsibility of fire and rescue services when recommending or installing alarms to ensure that they make reference to relevant standards and guidance.

Defence

Gordon Jackson (Glasgow Govan) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with UK ministers and BAE Systems regarding progress on construction work for Royal Navy aircraft carriers at the Clyde shipyards.

Nicol Stephen: Scottish ministers regularly engage with UK Defence and DTI ministers regarding current and future work programmes including the future aircraft carriers project (CVF). Scottish Executive officials also regularly meet with UK counterparts on a wide range of issues including naval shipbuilding, in which BAE Systems Naval Ships are represented. Separate discussions have also taken place between Executive and BAE Naval Ships on this issue.

Drug Misuse

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-19765 by Cathy Jamieson on 4 November 2005, how many of the fines listed have been paid in full.

Cathy Jamieson: Information on the number of fines imposed for possession of cannabis which are paid in full is not available from the statistics held centrally. The information systems maintained by the Scottish Courts Service in respect of fines imposed by the sheriff court and High Court are not configured to record the type of drug involved. The statistical information collected centrally in respect of payment of fines imposed by district courts does not include a breakdown by type of offence.

Education

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what evidence it has of the efficacy of work being done in schools in respect of violence reduction and anti-bullying.

Peter Peacock: A Climate for Learning was published by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education in March 2005. This report provides the findings of inspectors on implementation of Better Behaviour – Better Learning in education authorities and schools and the quality of work being undertaken to promote positive behaviour in schools. This task is continuing and a further report will be made in future years.

  The Scottish Executive is preparing to repeat the 2004 Survey of Teachers’ Perceptions on Indiscipline in Schools during 2006. In the new survey we will seek further information from teachers and head teachers about what they believe to be effective in tackling indiscipline in their schools. The findings of the 2004 survey suggested that teachers deployed a range of strategies to maintain positive discipline in their classroom.

  The approaches that the Scottish Executive is developing to promote positive behaviour have all been trialled within the local authorities leading these projects, with small scale evaluations, before they are disseminated further. For example, the Solution Oriented Schools approach was evaluated by Moray Council during its development and piloting of this approach; which is now being made available nationally through a series of "training for trainers" events. Similar approaches are being taken with Restorative Practices and Motivated Schools.

  East Ayrshire Council has worked closely with the Scottish Executive to evaluate the benefits of Staged Intervention (FFI) in schools and education authorities using this approach throughout Scotland. The findings will be available early in 2006.

  In addition to evaluation and research, the Scottish Executive consults closely with education authorities and teacher unions to ensure constant feedback on effective practice and implementation of Better Behaviour – Better Learning.

Education

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive to what extent initial teacher training courses provide training on how to promote positive behaviour in the classroom and develop pupils’ social, emotional and behavioural skills and what priority is given in terms of time allocated for such training compared with that for other subjects.

Peter Peacock: All Initial Teacher Education (ITE) courses provide training to student teachers on how to promote positive behaviour in the classroom.

  For example, the four-year BEd course at Dundee University includes a core module on managing pupil behaviour involving 200 hours of student effort. Topics that are afforded similar priority include Education Studies and Teaching Science which also require 200 hours of student effort.

  The one-year Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) includes periods of study at which students are trained how to manage pupil behaviour fairly, sensitively and consistently and learn when to seek advice from colleagues.

Education

Mr Kenneth Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to promote information literacy.

George Lyon: The Scottish Executive contributed funding for 2000 learners to pursue an Information Handling Skills course in conjunction with Scottish Libraries Information Council (SLIC), Learndirect Scotland and Scottish Enterprise Glasgow. This course was developed on behalf of these partners by the Scottish Further Education Unit.

  This interactive course aimed at post 16-year-olds, contains 23 stand-alone learning modules and demonstrates how to plan an information task and use, retrieve and evaluate information from a variety of sources including books, newspapers, CD-ROMs and the web. Work is underway to produce six additional learning bites including subject gateways and portals, asking the right question, copying/plagiarism, referencing, note taking and communicating and presenting information.

  There is also scope in the school curriculum to address the issues of information literacy within the context of the National 5-14 Guidelines, principally in the guidance on Information and Communication Technology. This guidance is designed to provide a framework for the integration of ICT into existing classroom practice so that all pupils become skilled, confident and informed users. Decisions on what and how to teach rest with education authorities and schools in response to local circumstances.

Elderly People

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people aged 60 and over live in each NHS board area.

George Lyon: The Registrar General’s 2004 mid-year population estimates show the number of people aged 60 and over by NHS board area to be:

  

NHS Board Area
Population


Argyll and Clyde
93,153


Ayrshire and Arran
86,590


Borders
27,759


Dumfries and Galloway
39,822


Fife
78,147


Forth Valley
59,755


Grampian
109,314


Greater Glasgow
175,510


Highland
49,723


Lanarkshire
112,531


Lothian
154,168


Orkney
4,751


Shetland
4,506


Tayside
94,384


Western Isles
6,913

Emergency Planning

Dr Jean Turner (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans are in place in each NHS board to reduce the risks associated with a flu pandemic.

Mr Andy Kerr: All NHS boards have pandemic flu plans in place based upon the UK Influenza Pandemic Contingency Plan.

Emergency Planning

Dr Jean Turner (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will increase the number of beds in isolation units in the event of a flu pandemic affecting Scotland.

Mr Andy Kerr: NHS boards are responsible for the planning and implementation of local contingency arrangements, including pandemic planning.

Enterprise

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many businesses have relocated their operating headquarters from Scotland.

Nicol Stephen: It is not possible to answer this question from the data held centrally. The Executive’s firm-level database (Inter-Departmental Business Register) contains data on employment and turnover for all enterprises located in Scotland, but does not record systematically whether the enterprise unit has a headquarter function.

Enterprise

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-17428 by Allan Wilson on 30 June 2005, how many food retail premises there (a) were in 1998 and (b) are in 2005.

Nicol Stephen: (a) The number of food retail premises in 1998 was 8,515.

  (b) Data is not yet available for 2005.

  Source: Inter-Departmental Business Register (IDBR) which is maintained by the Office for National Statistics.

Freedom of Information

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost has been to date of processing freedom of information requests from (a) members of the public and (b) journalists and broadcasters, broken down into (i) staff time and (ii) other costs.

Ms Margaret Curran: Responding to requests for information is regarded as part of routine business for all Executive staff we do not, therefore, hold information on the costs of complying with each individual request, nor do we ask staff to record on a routine basis the estimated costs of complying with requests for information.

  Of those freedom of information requests which are monitored centrally, those from journalists and broadcasters make up approximately 60% of the total.

Freedom of Information

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost has been of freedom of information requests from journalists and broadcasters, broken down by (a) journalist or broadcaster and (b) publication or broadcasting organisation.

Ms Margaret Curran: Responding to requests for information is regarded as part of routine business for all Executive staff we do not, therefore, hold information on the costs of complying with each individual request, nor do we ask staff to record on a routine basis the estimated costs of complying with requests for information.

  The Executive’s Disclosure Log on the Executive’s website www.scotland.gov.uk includes information about the requests made to the Executive by journalists and broadcasters, with details of their employing organisations.

Health

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many managed clinical networks have been established for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and where these are located.

Mr Andy Kerr: There is a COPD Managed Clinical Network (MCN) in NHS Grampian.

  Our general approach is to encourage the development of such networks where they would bring tangible benefits for those with COPD. I have agreed that pump-priming funding should be made available to support the development of another COPD MCN. The department has had discussions with representatives of the British Lung Foundation in Scotland and ABPI Scotland about the part of the country where that MCN could be established with maximum effect.

  There are many examples across Scotland of informal networking amongst health professionals dealing with COPD, and we are aware of plans to develop an MCN for respiratory conditions in NHS Borders.

Health

Dr Jean Turner (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive how many isolation beds there are in each NHS board area.

Dr Jean Turner (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive how many isolation units there are in each NHS board area.

Mr Andy Kerr: Information on the total number of isolation rooms in each NHS Board area is shown in the table.

  This information was obtained during February 2004 as part of an audit of patient placement facilities for the control of infectious diseases.

  Availability of Isolation Facilities Within Acute Hospitals in NHSScotland

  

NHS Board/Area
Total Number of Isolation Rooms


Argyll and Clyde
237


Ayrshire and Arran
204


Borders
65


Dumfries and Galloway
142


Fife
187


Forth Valley
150


Grampian
282


Greater Glasgow
586


Highland
137


Lanarkshire
323


Lothian
508


Orkney
13


Shetland
22


Tayside
245


Western Isles
66


Special Board (Golden Jubilee National Hospital)
175


Total
3,342

Health

Dr Jean Turner (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff are trained to work in isolation units.

Dr Jean Turner (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will train more staff to work in isolation units.

Dr Jean Turner (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will train more staff to work with patients who require isolation within the community.

Mr Andy Kerr: In general, health boards as NHS employers, are required by the mandatory Staff Governance Standard to ensure that all their staff are appropriately trained for the environment they work in. The Staff Governance Standard is monitored by the Scottish Partnership Forum and in that way the performance of each health board is monitored.

Health

Dr Jean Turner (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-16187 by Mr Andy Kerr on 9 May 2005, whether it will clarify its position on the use of Picture Archiving and Communications Systems (PACS), given the statement in section 47 of the final report of NHS Quality Improvement Scotland’s Emergency Medical Admissions Scoping Group that PACS will be mandatory in England to support Ambulatory Care and Diagnostic (ACAD) centres, and whether it intends to make use of PACS mandatory in Scottish ACAD centres.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive agrees with the points in paragraph 47 of the final report of the NHS QIS Emergency Admissions Scoping Group that teleradiology has a number of potential applications and should be employed routinely to allow image transfer from referring hospitals to specialist sites to improve clinical decision making. We also agree that PACS (Picture Archiving Communications System) facilitates multi-site viewing hence our position as I stated in my earlier reply is that PACS will be deployed where required to archive and retrieve radiological and other complex clinical images including in diagnostic and treatment centres.

Higher Education

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the recent steps it took in shifting higher education funding from institution funding to funding per student as a result of the increases in tuition fees will be followed by further moves towards funding per student.

Nicol Stephen: The Executive’s proposals on increases in tuition fees will, if accepted by Parliament, necessitate a transfer of resources from the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council to the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS). This transfer is estimated to be in the region of £45 million in 2006-07.

  This money and just over a third of SAAS’s £362 million budget for 2006-07 will protect our commitment to pay tuition fees for all eligible Scots domiciled higher education students studying in Scotland. The funding council will allocate the remainder of the £958 million allocated for 2006-07 to higher education institutions using the existing funding methodology.

  In the strategic guidance letter I issued to the chair of the new funding council on 3 November 2005, I recognised the importance of avoiding action on funding which might destabilise any individual institution and our overall provision. I stated, however, that I expect funding to be related as closely as possible to the costs of delivery. I asked the council as a priority to consider, in partnership with colleges and universities, the best way of addressing this issue.

  This was a statement of the strategic direction in which we expect funding allocation to go in the years ahead. Responsibility for the details of current and future allocation methodologies remains with the funding council.

Housing

Mr John Swinney (North Tayside) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how its plans to introduce a seller’s survey have been influenced by pilot projects undertaken on the proposal.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Single Survey is designed to improve the information available to potential purchasers on property condition, reduce wasted expenditure on multiple valuations and surveys and address artificially low upset prices. The pilot of the Single Survey in 2004-05 demonstrated that there had been no market-driven solution. There were insufficient incentives for sellers to participate on a voluntary basis. The rationale for the policy remained strong, however, and so I announced in March 2005 our intention to introduce a mandatory scheme through the current Housing (Scotland) Bill.

Justice

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-19545 by Colin Boyd QC on 25 October 2005, what the criteria are for opposing bail in respect of the offences listed in the question; at what level of seniority the decision is made; whether any record is made of whether or not the opposition to bail was successful and, if so, how the record is made and what information is retained.

Colin Boyd QC: In determining whether to oppose bail, the Crown must act in a manner compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights, which requires a balancing of the rights of individuals and the presumption of innocence with the interests of the community in general. This includes cases which involve one or more alleged offences of those listed in question S2W-19545, namely (a) murder, (b) culpable homicide, (c) rape and (d) a serious sexual offence.

  The exact criteria for opposition to bail is dependant on the facts and circumstances of each case, and the accused. Broadly, the Crown will take into account a number of factors, including the nature and age of the offence whether the accused has a significant record of previous convictions, in particular any previous sexual and/or violent offending; whether there is any evidence that the accused will abscond, intimidate witnesses, fail to attend court hearings, re-offend, and/or is in close association with the victim(s), or whether the accused is in a position of trust such as being subject to a bail order. Opposition to bail would, obviously, be strengthened by a combination of these grounds.

  Decisions about opposition to bail are taken by members of legal staff at all grades in the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS). Procurator Fiscal Deputes (PFD) are supported by a Principal PFD, and where appropriate, District Procurator Fiscals may also be involved in such decisions.

  Whether or not the Crown is successful in its opposition to bail, the Procurator Fiscal Depute in court will manually record the court’s decision to grant or to refuse bail on the relevant case papers, including any additional bail conditions imposed. The depute will also record whether or not the Crown opposed bail. In addition, the grant or refusal of bail by the court is recorded electronically in the COPFS national database.

  The hand written record on the case papers is retained in accordance with COPFS national policy on retention of case papers.

Lifelong Learning

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the population lack basic skills, such as numeracy and literacy, broken down into people aged (a) 18 to 24, (b) 25 to 29, (c) 30 to 34, (d) 35 to 39, (e) 40 to 44, (f) 45 to 49, (g) 50 to 54, (h) 55 to 59, (i) 60 to 64, (j) 65 to 69 and (k) 70 to 75.

Nicol Stephen: Data on the percentage of the population who lack basic skills, such as numeracy and literacy by age group is not held centrally.

Lifelong Learning

Mr Kenneth Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether strong information literacy programmes can help close the digital divide and build a more effective civil society and a competitive workforce.

George Lyon: Yes. The ability to analyse the quality of available information is a necessary skill when accessing material from the web. Citizens can be empowered by their ability to access and use information appropriately and in this respect, work to reduce the digital divide and work to promote information handling skills complement each other.

  Media literacy, demonstrated by the confidence with which individuals can manage, exchange and use information from a variety of sources, particularly the web, is important for the economic wellbeing of our country and plays a part in the development of a skilled and knowledgeable workforce. It is important for the maintenance of successful and vibrant local communities. For the individual who through their ability to use technology can learn, work, play, entertain, inform and discover, we are increasing opportunities to fulfil their potential.

Local Government

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many community councils operate in each local authority area and in how many areas defined by local authorities as being suited for a community council one does not exist.

George Lyon: While this information is not available centrally, we estimate that there are approximately 1,200 community councils in Scotland. Encouraging people and organisations to become involved in their local community is one of the issues we address in our recently published Discussion Paper What can we do to help community councils fulfil their role , copies of which are available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 37978) or via the Scottish Executive website at www.scotland.gov.uk/publications/2005/10/31132008/20088 .

Maternity Services

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-19948, S2W-19949 and S2W-19950 by Lewis Macdonald on 14 November 2005 and in light of the fact that its Health Department does not hold this information centrally, whether it is satisfied with the performance of the department and whether it considers that its policy on the provision of maternity services is sufficiently informed.

Lewis Macdonald: I am satisfied that our policy on provision of maternity services is sufficiently informed. The information requested in S2W-19948, S2W-19949 and S2W-19950 is not routinely recorded centrally. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

  Since these questions were answered this information has been collected and is set out in the following tables. There are currently no consultant-led maternity units subject to formal consultation for closure, or conversion to non-consultant services.

  Types and Locations of Maternity Units by Region

  

West of Scotland


Name
Type


Princess Royal, Glasgow
Consultant-Led Unit


Queen Mothers, Glasgow
Consultant-Led Unit


Southern General, Glasgow
Consultant-Led Unit


Royal Alexandria, Paisley
Consultant-Led Unit


Cresswell Maternity, Dumfries
Consultant-Led Unit


Ayrshire Central, Irvine
Consultant-Led Unit


Wishaw General, Wishaw
Consultant-Led Unit


Inverclyde, Greenock
Community Maternity Unit


Vale of Leven, Alexandria
Community Maternity Unit


Lorn & Island, Oban
Community Maternity Unit


Dunoon, Dunoon
Community Maternity Unit


Campbeltown, Campbeltown
Community Maternity Unit


Victoria, Rothesay
Community Maternity Unit


Islay, Bowmore
Community Maternity Unit


Dalrymple, Stranraer
Community Maternity Unit


Arran War Memorial, Lamlash
Community Maternity Unit



  

South East and Tayside


Name
Type


Ninewells, Dundee
Consultant-Led Unit


Simpson’s, Edinburgh
Consultant-Led Unit


St John’s, Livingston
Consultant-Led Unit


Forth Park, Kirkcaldy
Consultant-Led Unit


Borders General, Melrose
Consultant-Led Unit


Stirling Royal, Stirling
Consultant-Led Unit


Perth Royal, Perth
Community Maternity Unit


Arbroath, Arbroath
Community Maternity Unit


Montrose, Montrose
Community Maternity Unit



  

North of Scotland


Name
Type


Aberdeen, Aberdeen
Consultant-Led Unit


Dr Gray’s, Elgin
Consultant-Led Unit


Raigmore, Inverness
Consultant-Led Unit


Caithness, Wick
Consultant-Led Unit


Western Isles, Stornoway
Consultant-Led Unit


Chalmers, Banff
Community Maternity Unit


Fraserburgh, Fraserburgh
Community Maternity Unit


Jubilee, Huntly
Community Maternity Unit


Peterhead, Peterhead
Community Maternity Unit


Aboyne, Aboyne
Community Maternity Unit


Belford, Fort William
Community Maternity Unit


McKinnon, Broadford
Community Maternity Unit


Balfour, Kirkwall
Community Maternity Unit


Gilbert Bain, Lerwick
Community Maternity Unit


Uist and Barra, Benbecula
Community Maternity Unit



  Changes to Maternity Services in Last Five Years

  

Perth Royal changed from Consultant-Led Unit to Community Maternity Unit in 2004


Inverclyde changed from Consultant-Led Unit to Community Maternity Unit in 2003


Vale of Leven changed from Consultant-Led Unit to Community Maternity Unit in 2003


Falkirk Consultant-Led service moved to Stirling in 2003 


Forfar Community Maternity Unit closed in 2002


Units at Bellshill and Law Hospitals amalgamated at Wishaw General in 2001

Mental Health

Mrs Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) have been diagnosed in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board.

Lewis Macdonald: It is not possible to provide a reliable estimate for the number of patients diagnosed with SAD due to the small number of cases identified in the data collected by ISD Scotland.

Mental Health

Mrs Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that people with Seasonal Affective Disorder receive the support and treatment they require.

Lewis Macdonald: Clinicians offer advice and will discuss options for all needs presented on a case-by-case basis.

Mental Health

Mrs Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to undertake any detailed analysis in assessing the number of people suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Lewis Macdonald: There are no such plans.

Mental Health

Mrs Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what additional support it will give to the NHS to provide therapies to people suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Lewis Macdonald: NHS boards are free to decide their spending priorities from the record resources available to them.

Mental Health

Mrs Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people received anti-depressant drugs as treatment for Seasonal Affective Disorder in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board.

Lewis Macdonald: This information is not available centrally. Prescription data collected centrally are not patient-specific and do not record the condition for which the medicine has been prescribed.

Mental Health

Mrs Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people received psychotherapy, counselling or any complementary treatment for Seasonal Affective Disorder in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board.

Lewis Macdonald: This information is not held centrally.

Mental Health

Mrs Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports the establishment of an EU strategy on mental health.

Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive is pleased to see the development of the European Commission’s green paper, as the first stage in the process of establishing a European Union strategy on mental health.

  In particular, the Scottish Executive welcomes the emphasis on population mental health and the need to address the wider social determinants of mental health and mental ill-health which is consistent with the approach in the Scottish Executive’s National Programme for Improving Mental Health and Well-being.

Mental Health

Mrs Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will contribute to the European Commission’s Green Paper, Improving the mental health of the population: Towards a strategy on mental health for the European Union .

Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive welcomes the development of the European Commission Green Paper on Improving the mental health of the population: Towards a strategy on mental health for the European Union .

  Through the Executive’s National Programme for Improving Mental Health and Well-being Scotland has already contributed to the development of the EC green paper and intends to continue to make a contribution to the green paper consultation process.

Mental Health

Mrs Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has (a) made to and (b) received from the European Commission regarding the establishment of a strategy on mental health.

Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive is involved in developing the UK response to the EC’s Green paper on Improving the mental health of the population: Towards a strategy on mental health for the European Union . The Scottish Executive was represented at the launch of the European Commission’s green paper on 24 October 2005 in Luxembourg as part of the UK Government delegation.

Mental Health

Mrs Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will encourage (a) local authorities, (b) health professionals, (c) stakeholders in other sectors, (d) civil society, including patient organisations, and (e) the research community to communicate their views on the European Commission’s strategy on mental health.

Lewis Macdonald: Yes. A wide range of stakeholders will be encouraged to communicate their views on the European Commission’s Green Paper. The Scottish Executive’s National Programme for Improving Mental Health and Well-being will highlight the European Commission’s green paper consultation exercise on it website www.wellontheweb.net .

NHS Hospitals

Dr Jean Turner (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive how many operating theatres are planned for the new Stobhill Hospital, broken down by speciality.

Dr Jean Turner (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive how many operating theatres are planned for the new Victoria Hospital in Glasgow, broken down by speciality.

Dr Jean Turner (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive how many operating theatres are planned in future for Glasgow Royal Infirmary, broken down by speciality.

Dr Jean Turner (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive how many operating theatres are planned in future for the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow, broken down by speciality.

Dr Jean Turner (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive how many operating theatres are planned in future for Gartnavel Hospital, broken down by speciality.

Mr Andy Kerr: This is a matter for NHS Greater Glasgow. The exact disposition of services will be finalised as the board’s plans for the modernisation of acute services is implemented. The planning and provision of local NHS services is the responsibility of individual NHS boards providing they are in line with national guidance and frameworks.

NHS Staff

Mrs Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost of staff turnover has been to the NHS in each year since 1999.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive does not collect information centrally on the cost of staff turnover in the NHS.

Police

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many police officers with a disability, as defined in the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, have been employed in each police force in each of the last 10 years and what percentage of the force strength this represents.

Cathy Jamieson: This information is not held centrally. Employment matters are in the first instance for the Chief Constable and the Police Board.

Police

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on how many cases of discrimination against police forces under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 have been presented to industrial tribunals in each year since the act came into force.

Cathy Jamieson: This information is not held centrally. Employment matters are in the first instance for the Chief Constable and the Police Board.

Police

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidelines or guidance it has issued to police forces regarding recruitment practices in line with the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.

Cathy Jamieson: Guidance was issued on 17 September 2004 which provided general advice for managers together with more detailed information on how the provisions of the act will impact on the police service in relation to recruitment, career development and training, and pensions.

  The guidance was prepared in consultation with the police staff associations.

Police

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any police force has been required to pay compensation under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.

Cathy Jamieson: The Executive has not been made aware of any such payments. Employment matters (including any compensation due under the Disability Discrimination Act) are for the Chief Constable and the Police Board in the first instance.

Police

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance and support it gives to police forces in meeting their obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.

Cathy Jamieson: We have on-going dialogue with Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland where the cost of meeting new legislative burdens is concerned, such as capital works to make buildings more accessible etc. However employment matters (including those obligations covered by the Disability Discrimination Act) are for the Chief Constable and the Police Board in the first instance.

Prison Service

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the ratio has been of prisoners with mental health problems to psychiatric units in each year since 1999.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The number of prisoners presenting with mental health problems is not known therefore such a ratio cannot be calculated.

Prison Service

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many women have given birth whilst serving a custodial sentence in each year since 1995.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  During the period 1999-2000 to 2004-05 there were 17 cases.

  The figures are not shown broken down by year because to do so would risk identifying specific cases and the children concerned.

Prison Service

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the assessment criteria are for a prisoner to be sent to an open prison at the start of their sentence.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  No prisoner starts a sentence in an open prison.

Prison Service

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the maximum number of prisoners is that HM Prison Kilmarnock is contracted to take.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  Six hundred and twenty-nine.

Road Safety

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports the Bikesafe initiative.

Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive supports Bikesafe as an initiative which seeks to improve the safety of motorcyclists by encouraging them to improve their skills.

  An Evaluation of Bikesafe Scotland, published by the Executive in 2003, found that participants found the Assessed Ride Programme useful. It also found that the scheme has a beneficial impact in terms of improving participants’ control of their bikes and encouraging them to ride with increased hazard perception. However, there was evidence to suggest that some participants may be riding faster on rural roads after taking part in Bikesafe.

  Copies of the research report are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 29049).

Student Finance

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Student Awards Agency for Scotland is instructed to calculate the joint income of cohabiting couples who are unmarried when establishing eligibility for a dependents’ grant.

Nicol Stephen: It is a stipulation of the current policy on Adult Dependants’ Grant that a student may only receive an Adult Dependants’ Grant in respect of a partner to whom he or she is legally married. Cohabiting students are not eligible to receive an Adult Dependants’ Grant in respect of a partner to whom they are not married.

  My officials have recently begun a review of the means test arrangements which apply to the student support system. As part of this project, they will identify options to modernise the means test in order to take into account the varying structures of modern families, and to ensure the means test arrangements are both fair and equitable. This review is likely to have an impact on the eligibility for Adult Dependants’ Grant by widening the definition of the term "married couple" to include co-habiting couples and civil partnerships.

Student Finance

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the comments made by the Deputy First Minister and Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning to the Enterprise and Culture Committee on 1 November 2005 ( Official Report c. 2352), what the Student Awards Agency for Scotland’s funding line in the budget would have been had it not been affected by the £28 million consideration as a result of the change to HM Treasury discount rate.

Nicol Stephen: If there had been no change to the discount rate, the reduction in 2005-06 of £28 million would not have arisen. The Student Awards Agency for Scotland’s funding line in 2005-06 would be increased by £28 million from £368,639,000 to £396,639,000.

Student Finance

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total pay-out to Scottish domiciled students from the Student Loans Company Ltd was in 2003-04 and how many students received these payments.

Nicol Stephen: In 2003-04 the total pay-out to Scottish domiciled students from the Student Loans Company Ltd was £223,332,000. The number of students who received payment was 123,445.

Student Finance

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the 494,000 deferment application forms processed by the Student Loans Company Ltd in 2003-04 were from Scottish domiciled repayers.

Nicol Stephen: Of the 494,000 deferment applications processed by the Student Loans Company in 2003-04, just under 70,000 were from Scottish domiciled repayers.

Student Finance

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many Student Loans Company Ltd hardship loans were paid out to Scottish domiciled students in 2003-04.

Nicol Stephen: In 2003-04 the Student Loans Company paid out 2,555 Hardship Loans to Scottish domiciled students.

Student Finance

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many Student Loans Company Ltd part-time student loans were paid out to Scottish domiciled students in 2003-04.

Nicol Stephen: In 2003-04 the Student Loans Company paid out 626 part-time loans to Scottish domiciled students.

Student Finance

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many customer accounts the Student Loans Company Ltd maintains for Scottish domiciled borrowers.

Nicol Stephen: The Student Loans Company currently maintains the customer accounts for 312,800 Scottish domiciled borrowers with public debt.

Student Finance

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the operating surplus made by the Student Loans Company Ltd the Executive has received in each year since 1999.

Nicol Stephen: The Student Loans Company operates as a non-departmental public body and therefore has no operating surplus or any reserves.

Student Finance

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of Scottish domiciled student loan borrowers were in deferment in each year of the operation of student loans, broken down by year of entering repayment.

Nicol Stephen: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-20433 on 16 November 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Teachers

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that all teachers have access to systematic professional development to assist schools with their behaviour-improvement plans and strategies.

Peter Peacock: Since the introduction of the agreement, A Teaching Profession for the 21st Century , the Executive has distributed funding to local authorities to fund the provision of relevant professional development opportunities for teachers and to further develop Continuing Professional Development (CPD) infrastructures. In 2005-06, this funding was £13.5 million. It is for each teacher in discussion with their line manager, to agree a programme of CPD that reflects individual, school, local authority and national priorities. The extent to which this includes training and development in behaviour improvement will vary according to individual need.

Correction

The reply to question S2W-19684, which was originally answered on 3 November 2005, has been corrected: see page 6541 or http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/pqa/wa-05/wa1123.htm.